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Worker threatened with being sacked for complaining about no pay rise for 3 years
A Victorian textiles company is threatening to sack a union delegate for speaking out against the Federal Government’s unfair workplace laws that have allowed the company to avoid giving around 300 workers a pay rise for nearly three years.
The Wangaratta-based Bruck Textiles workers make the material used for uniforms for the Australian Army in Iraq and for the Victoria Police.
They have had no pay rise since 1 December 2004 while the company has used the WorkChoices IR laws to refused to negotiate with the union. This means the workers have missed out on the $55 a week pay rise most other low paid workers have received in this time.
Some workers are also being paid below the $14.50 an hour minimum wage for their job classification.
The Textiles Clothing and Footwear Union (TCFUA) has lodged an application in the Federal Court seeking an injunction to stop Bruck and its CEO, Alan Williamson, from sacking or further threatening Bruck worker Maurie Mahoney, along-standing Bruck employee and union delegate.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:
“With many Bruck workers earning only about $15 an hour, the living standards of the families of Bruck workers have gone backwards under the Howard Government’s unfair ‘WorkChoices’ IR laws.
“John Howard’s unfair workplace laws allow Bruck management to get away with some pay rates below those set by the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standards.
“It is bad enough that a company would use these laws to stop these workers from getting a cost of living pay rise but to threaten and attempt to gag a worker from speaking out is a new low.
“It is time Mr Hockey did his job and investigated the actions of Bruck and the underpayment of their staff”, said Ms Burrow
25 September 2007
Media Contacts:
ACTU Evan Langdon 0418 479 455
TCFUA Michele O’Neil ph 0419 338 853
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